Celtic is the only club for me, declares captain Scott Brown after signing new contract

Scott Brown aims to finish his career at Celtic Park after choosing the
prospect of winning trophies in Scotland over a move to England.

Staying put: Scott Brown signed a contract that ties him to Parkhead until the summer of 2015, with Celtic having the option of another yearPhoto: AFP

By Telegraph staff and agencies

4:09PM GMT 06 Dec 2011

The Celtic captain signed a new contract on Saturday following a lengthy delay in finalising the deal, which sparked a flurry of speculation over his future.

Manager Neil Lennon admitted some concern over the delay despite being confident his captain would stay, and Brown was linked with a move to Newcastle under freedom of contract at the end of the season.

But he insisted there was no doubt the deal would be done.

The Scotland midfielder agreed personal terms with chief executive Peter Lawwell several months ago, with the only obstacle being his agent's fee.

With that removed, Brown signed a contract that ties him to Parkhead until the summer of 2015, with Celtic having the option of another year.

And Brown sees himself signing another contract after that and possibly staying at the club for the remainder of his career.

The 26 year-old said: "When I spoke to Peter a couple of weeks ago, he was saying the same thing, he would like me to stay.

"I would be glad to stay. It's a great club, it's a good place to play your football as well, in front of 60,000 fans. Who wouldn't want to stay here?

"We've got a great training ground, we've got a great manager and great players as well, so it's the club for me."

Brown revealed there was no contact from other clubs and he was not tempted to aim for a move to the Barclays Premier League.

"I enjoy playing here. I'm going to win cups and trophies here," added Brown, who joined Celtic in a £4.4 million deal from Hibernian in 2007.

"If you go down to England, you might not get that, you might not get the winning mentality that you have here. I enjoy winning and that's why I signed for Celtic."

Brown was unmoved by suggestions his preference to stay at Celtic ahead of the Barclays Premier League could be seen as a lack of ambition.

He added: "You can't rule anything out really. It's a great league but if I go there, you really need to go to one of the top teams to win trophies.

"The way I see it at Celtic, I'm winning week in, week out and we've got a great chance of winning trophies every season."

To that end, there was no doubt in Brown's mind that the contract would be signed.

"Not in my mind. Maybe other people's minds but I knew Celtic was the only club for me," he said. "I knew it was going to happen eventually.

"It was up to the club and my agent as well. I don't really take part in that. They sorted everything out and that was ideal."

Brown was appointed captain by Tony Mowbray initially but Lennon reaffirmed his role and has been a staunch defender of the combative midfielder.

And Brown admitted his manager was "one of the main reasons" behind his decision to stay.

"He's a great manager, he is always positive," Brown said. "He comes in and he knows what he wants to do in training and he knows what he expects from the players, and they all respect him."

Brown's contract extension came amid his comeback from ankle surgery, which kept him out for more than two months.

Brown came off the bench during games against Atletico Madrid and Dundee United and will get more action before Celtic host Hearts on Saturday looking for their sixth consecutive Clydesdale Bank Premier League win.

"I've got to get a few games," he said. "I've only played 30 minutes of football in the last seven or eight weeks now.